


The Troops Are Bored

by jynx



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, M/M, Popculture References, Timeline What Timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 10:09:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17282081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jynx/pseuds/jynx
Summary: What ever are Boil and Waxer to do on patrol? Why, play a game of course.





	The Troops Are Bored

"Psst," Waxer said, nudging Boil. They were on patrol duty, which was boring enough as it was, but Boil was hungry and tired. He was upright through sheer force of will and Waxer poking him was going to get him smacked. "Hey." 

"What," he sighed. 

"You just lost The Game," Waxer said with a wide smile. 

Boil's brain was blank for a moment before he whipped his bucket off and used it to beat Waxer with, ignoring his brother's laughs. "I WAS WINNING!" he shouted. 

"Well now you've lost!" Waxer laughed, trying to fend off Boil's helmet and his fists. 

"What's going on over there?" Commander Cody asked, coming over to investigate the racket Boil was probably making. "It's not time for shift change yet." 

"Waxer just made me lose The Game, sir," Boil said, swatting his brother one last time and trying not to fume about it. 

Commander Cody's face froze for a moment before he let out a truly impressive string of curses. Some of those he must have learned from the General because Boil had never heard them before. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go find Captain Rex," he said. "And comm Commanders Wolffe and Bly." Waxer started laughing until the Commander pointed at him, "I'm blaming you." 

= 

Cody arrived on the bridge with a straight face that wanted to be a smirk. He nodded to his General when the other looked up from a conversation with General Skywalker but continued on his path to Rex. He ignored the curious look and slung an arm around Rex's shoulders. "Rex, old boy, you have just lost The Game," he said, pitching his voice loud enough for the bridge crew to pick it up. 

Rex stiffened and turned on him, eyes wide with fury. All around them their brothers were losing their proverbial shit, forgoing professionalism to righteous fury. "You _asshole_ ," Rex hissed. 

"Waxer made Boil lose," Cody said, "and then Boil made me lose. It's only fair I cause you, Wolffe, and Bly to lose as well." He'd sent off a quick, high priority text alert to the other two letting them know that they have also lost. 

"I'm sorry but, what is 'the game'?" General Kenobi interrupted, a politely curious look on his face; Skywalker just looked baffled. 

"To know the game is to play the game," Rex said through gritted teeth. "To think of the game is to lose the game, and you must always announce your losses out loud." 

"Ahh," General Kenobi nodded with the tiniest of smiles. 

"I don't get it," General Skywalker said with a frown. "It sounds stupid." 

"You're not thinking far enough ahead," General Kenobi said, his smile inching wider. Cody bit the inside of his cheek; his General had known exactly what he was talking about. "Think about the potential for complete and utter _chaos_ from a few words whispered to a friend." 

Rex, apparently, had no such compunction to keep quiet. "Sir, you know The Game?" he asked, eyes narrowed. 

"I'm sorry to say it is a game we often learn in the creche," General Kenobi said, a full-blown 'tooka got the canary' smirk. "There is nothing more delicious than watching a group of Initiates pass on to another group of Padawans in a hall that they've lost, only to have it ripple throughout the Temple. Masters trying to be 'Masterly' while everyone else swears, knowing that they've lost as well and they have an image to maintain." 

"Even you, General?" Cody asked, grinning. "If you know about The Game, you have to announce you've lost." 

"Oh, I will," General Kenobi said with a soft chuckle. "I have a Council meeting in an hour." 

Cody's eyes widened. "Sir," he said. 

General Skywalker still looked confused. "What's the point? How do you win?" 

"You don't," General Kenobi said with a frown. "You just keep playing. There is no endgame." 

"Our Game has an end," Rex said. "The Chancellor has to go on the HoloNet and say 'The Game is up' and then it's over." 

"I could ask him to do that?" General Skywalker said with a questioning look and a shrug. "Wouldn't be hard or anything." 

" _Anakin_ ," General Kenobi said, sighing as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's not the point. The men have a game that entertains them, let them have their fun." 

"But--" General Skywalker protested. 

"No," General Kenobi said, grabbing the other by the elbow. "I think you should come with me to discuss your latest _incident_ with the Council." 

"But!" Skywalker protested as he was hauled out by the older man. 

"Please tell me you're tapping that," Rex said quietly, "because otherwise I will. He _knew_ about our game?!" 

Cody cut Rex a sly look. "What's it to you?" 

Rex glared at him, right as Cody's comm blew up. Cody glanced down at it, smiling in triumph as Wolffe and Bly...and then Bacara and Fox and all the others started comming him to shout at him. He knew it was only a matter of time before Ponds was sending him a nasty comm when General Windu inevitably blew up about The Game, but it was worth it. 

And maybe later that night he could pry other unseen games out of his General, if only to pass onto the men. They had to think about the morale, afterall. 

**Author's Note:**

> CONGRATS! You have all just lost the game! If you were not playing the game, well. You are now. Yes, this is a real thing. Details are here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Game_(mind_game)
> 
> I lost the game earlier this night, screamed it onto Facebook and a Discord server and then decided to share with ALL OF YOU LOVELY PEOPLE! 8D


End file.
